MSCS could challenge state takeover in court
Republican sponsors of the bill have said they’ll push the Tennessee General Assembly to pass legislation that would kneecap the elected board by giving a new board of state appointees powers over MSCS.
Topic: Tennessee General Assembly
RSSThere are 273 article(s) tagged Tennessee General Assembly:
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February 2026
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Health insurance crackdown: New laws could help patients and hospitals stand up to unfair policies.
Insurance companies deny claims, use AI, refuse to pay hospitals and limit cancer care, some TN lawmakers say. Now, they’re rising up against the industry.
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New plan means results of high-stakes MSCS probe will be ready in March
State lawmakers voted to fund the audit last spring. No initial findings of wrongdoing prompted it; rather, lawmakers bolstered a smaller effort from the Shelby County Board of Commissioners who were frustrated by the school board’s ouster of former Superintendent Marie Feagins.
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Tennessee lawmakers pass one-time transfer rule bill for TSSAA athletes
Lawmakers and the TSSAA teamed up to pass a bill to let middle and high school athletes transfer schools once without penalty — with some stipulations.
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Lawmakers’ criticism of MSCS finances ‘premature,’ Richmond says
Republican lawmakers who were briefed on preliminary information from a state-funded forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools are drawing “premature” conclusions, interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said.
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Some pregnant Tennesseans could park in handicap spots if new bill passes
A new bill would allow them to use parking spaces otherwise reserved for people with disabilities.
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Lakeland board displeased with state’s lack of special education pre-K funding
“Special education preschool students throughout Tennessee do not get much funding. It’s almost a totally unfunded mandate,” Lakeland School System board member and legislative liaison Michelle Childs said.
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‘Unprecedented’ MSCS forensic audit report expected this spring
“There’s financial record mismanagement, waste and abuse of contracts, disorganization at a level that’s unprecedented,” state Rep. Mark White told The Daily Memphian Friday.
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What Memphis legislators are focusing on in Nashville
Amid an icy start to the Tennessee General Assembly’s 2026 session, Memphis legislators have already started filing bills to be considered.
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January 2026
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Shelby County legislators passed 97 bills this year
After four months of argument, compromise, bickering and squabble, the 2025 Tennessee General Assembly concluded April 22.
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Tennessee GOP wants to make K-12 students verify their immigration status
Republican leadership did not say whether local schools or the Tennessee Department of Education would be responsible for verifying immigration status or where such data would be held.
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Once at odds, two local lawmakers now agree how to ‘move forward’ with MSCS takeover
State Rep. Mark White hopes Tennessee legislative leadership is “ready to move” on an MSCS takeover bill when lawmakers reconvene Tuesday, Jan. 13.
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State lawmaker files bill to keep ICE out of schools, churches
Gabby Salinas filed a bill to block ICE from schools and churches following a fatal shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
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What Memphians can expect in the 2026 TN General Assembly
School takeover, immigration and access to contraceptives are set to dominate the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly. Here's what Memphians should know ahead of the gavel.
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September 2025
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MSCS’ Richmond rebuts arguments for state takeover
Roderick Richmond, the interim leader of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, pointed to failures of Tennessee’s state-run Achievement School District during a town hall meeting opposing takeover of the school system.
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August 2025
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How the County Commission’s debate on school board elections has turned
The move to put all nine MSCS board seats on the ballot in 2026 took a few turns last week in County Commission committee sessions.
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April 2025
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Pets, social media, voyeurism victims: Here’s where state lawmakers agreed
In spite of the divisive legislation that may crop up in rows from January to April every year, Tennessee lawmakers actually agree on more than one may realize.
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MSCS avoids state takeover this year
Disagreements about what kind of authority an appointed board should have over the Memphis school system stopped the bill from advancing before lawmakers adjourned for the year.
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MSCS takeover details likely left to special committee
A special committee of state lawmakers is expected to hammer out the details of a proposed takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools in a final push toward passing the legislation before the Tennessee General Assembly adjourns in the coming days.
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Varlas: Legislators have TSSAA in their crosshairs. And that’s not good.
The state governing body for high school athletics is facing the possibility of a government takeover. Or outright dissolution.
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Controversial bail-denial amendment sent to ballot
The Tennessee General Assembly passed three possible amendments, including one that could allow judges to deny bail to defendants accused of certain crimes.
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Downtown safety funds survive state whittling of local programs
Rep. G.A. Hardaway, along with other Memphis lawmakers, expressed concern over the reductions and outright elimination of many Memphis organizations and programs.
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Last-minute updates move MSCS takeover proposals toward compromise
Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, and Sen. Brent Taylor, R- Eads, don’t yet agree on the role of a new appointed board. Here’s what they’ve offered in new proposals aimed at a compromise.
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If sales tax hike is dead, how will Shelby County pay for a new jail?
Options for funding the project, widely agreed upon by state legislators as necessary despite disputes about priorities and timing, are becoming increasingly limited.
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State Senate passes bill aimed at immigrant students
Shelby County’s five state senators voted down party lines for a bill that would allow school districts to deny education to students based on immigration status.
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